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EARLY YEARS STRATEGY

ANNEX 1: GLOSSARY

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE INITIATIVES

Social Justice

In November 1999 the Scottish Executive published the Social Justice Report Social Justice…a Scotland where everyone matters setting out 10 long term targets for the achievement of Social Justice, and 29 milestones marking progress towards the targets. An accompanying document set out the milestone sources and definitions. The report set out the vision for tackling poverty and injustice, and an annual Social Justice Report measures progress in achieving this.

Children's Services Plans

Section 19 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 requires local authorities, as corporate bodies, to produce, in consultation with other statutory agencies and voluntary organisations, plans for the provision of "relevant services" for children within their areas. Relevant services are those provided for by Part II of the 1995 Act or under the enactments mentioned in section 5(1B)(a) to (o) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

The main aims of these plans are: to ensure the welfare of children; to clarify strategic objectives in relation to services; to promote integrated provision of services and effective use of available resources; to ensure a consistent approach to planning by local authorities; and to establish a high standard of co-ordination, co-operation and collaboration between different services providers.

In October 2001 the Scottish Executive issued revised guidance on Children's Services Plans aimed at achieving a more integrated, streamlined and consistent planning regime for children's services. This guidance set key outcomes that should be delivered by children's services. These outcomes are closely linked to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:

• Children and their parents and families should be involved and consulted about key decisions and children's identity and innate dignity as human beings respected.
• Children should receive good quality care and, wherever possible, grow up in a positive family setting. Where the family setting is not positive, support should be given to tackle this. Where it proves impossible to achieve a sufficiently positive family setting, the child's experience outside such a setting should be as near as possible to a family upbringing.
• Children should receive good opportunities for recreation, leisure, and play.
• Children should enjoy the highest attainable standard of health.
• Children should be protected from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
• Children should benefit from a positive learning environment and be supported to explore, enjoy and develop their personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.

Community Planning

The Community Planning Task Force was established in 2001 as a national advisory group appointed by but independent of Scottish Ministers. Its aim is to aid the development of community planning in Scotland. Membership comprises senior representatives from a broad spectrum of professions across Scottish public life, including community interests. The Task Force is playing a key role in developing new legislation and also examining issues such as effective joint working between agencies and community engagement. The Task Force is due to reach the end of its life-span in March 2003, but a successor will be identified to continue to provide a focus and continuation of Community Planning.

The essence of Community Planning is recognition that the needs of individuals and communities must be addressed collectively by a range of organisations, if they are to be addressed successfully. The result should be communities that can be sure that key public services they need - services such as health, education, transport, housing and the environment will be delivered efficiently and for their needs. Crosscutting priorities such as closing the opportunity gap and sustainability will also be addressed more effectively.

The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 will place a duty on local authorities to initiate, facilitate and maintain the community planning process in consultation with public and community bodies. The Act further places a duty on key public bodies such as Health Boards, the Enterprise Network and the Police to participate in community planning.

Performance Assessment Framework

The Performance Assessment Framework (PAF) forms the mandatory core framework for assessing the performance of the NHS in Scotland and provides the stimulus for continuous performance improvement. The PAF is focussed and therefore doesn't cover every specific area of health activity in Scotland. However, there are a number of key indicators relating to children - including low birthweight babies, whether mothers are breastfeeding, immunisation uptake and dental health.

National Physical Activity Strategy

Research results over the past 50 years indicate that an inactive life leads to an increased risk of CHD, stroke and other major health problems such as obesity and diabetes. Potential health gains through increasing activity levels are considerable. Increasing the uptake of physical activity is one of the major challenges facing the Executive in it's drive to improve the health of the people of Scotland. The Physical Activity Task Force's final report "Let's Make Scotland More Active" was endorsed by Scottish Ministers and launched as the Executive's national physical activity strategy in February 2003. One of the strategy's major goals is that 80% of all Scotland's children will meet the recommended levels of physical activity by 2022. At present 27% of boys and 40% of girls are not active enough, this means they do less than one hour a day of moderate activity on 5 or more days of the week.

ANNEX 2: RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS

For Scotland's Children, Better Integrated Children's Services (2001)

Launched in October 2001, reported the findings of a multi-disciplinary Action Team seconded to the Executive to look at ways to better integrate children's services. The Report sets out the range of evidence considered by the Action Team and includes detailed findings and background analysis along with longer term recommendations for the Scottish Executive to consider. Contained within the Report is an Action Plan directed at local statutory and non-statutory agencies (local authorities, health boards and voluntary organisations) setting out a range of ways in which local agencies can work together to achieve better integrated children's services. Following on from the Report, the Cabinet Sub-Committee for Children's Services, chaired by the First Minister, was formed to consider the recommendations made by the Action Team and to take forward policy aimed at improving children's services and closing the opportunity gap.

It's everyone's Job to make sure I'm Alright (2002)

The Child Protection Review was announced in March 2001 following the Hammond Report into the death of Kennedy McFarlane. The aim of the review was "to promote the reduction of abuse or neglect of children and to improve the services for children who experience abuse or neglect". The Review Report It's everyone's job to make sure I'm alright was published on 25 November 2002. In response to the findings of the report the Scottish Executive announced a five point plan which required action from all the relevant agencies and the Scottish Executive. The five point plan is:

• A 3 year programme of sustained activity to reform child protection services by establishing clear practice standards, developing the role and responsibilities of Child Protection Committees and building capacity to deliver it.
• A team of experts from relevant agencies, with top level backing from the Executive, will work directly with local agencies to implement the reform programme and tackle poor performance.
• A tough new system of inspection will monitor progress over the next 3 years to ensure that reform is delivered.
• A Children's Charter, to be drawn up in conjunction with professionals and children will set out the support that children have the right to expect.
• Extra support for helplines that provide counselling and support for children - ChildLine and ParentLine. ChildLine will receive 500,000 to open up a new call centre and increase by up to 60% the number of children they are able to help.

Growing Support - A Review of Services for Vulnerable Families with Very Young Children (2002)

This inter-disciplinary review of local authority and health services to support vulnerable families with children aged 0-3 years was carried out during 2000-2001, by a small team led by the Social Work Services Inspectorate and including HMI Education and health professionals. Fieldwork was carried out in five local authority areas chosen to reflect the range of demography and geography in Scotland. The findings of this review also informed the work of the Action Team on integrated services for children.

The review found an extensive range of services offering practical help, information, parenting education and advice, and emotional support to parents in difficulty in each area. It also found instances of excellent practice, with skilled and committed practitioners delivering intensive support in often difficult and sometimes frightening circumstances. Families generally found services helpful, particularly family centres and services that assisted both parents and children to improve their skills and development. Nevertheless front line staff were not always able to offer the right kinds of help at the right time and could appear unsympathetic or unhelpful. Parents also found that gaining access to services was not easy. Prioritising enquiries and monitoring of child protection plans at the expense of active family support to address their needs and problems is false economy. Providing a child protection service without integrated family support fails to deliver the best outcomes for these most vulnerable children.

The Child at the Centre - Self-evaluation in the early years

A guide for centres providing pre-school education and day care to children aged 3-5, to help them identify good practice in quality services, and appraise their own performance against a set of representative indicators. The guide underpins the national care standards for early education and childcare, which together with regulations, are used by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care to regulate care provision.

Getting our Priorities Right - Good practice guidance for working with Children and Families affected by Substance Misuse (2003)

Guidance outlining the expectations on a range of agencies in respect of referral, information-sharing and service provision for families where parents or carers misuse substances, including alcohol.

ANNEX 3: GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLES

There are many examples of good practice in integrated working delivering effective public services, and some of these are detailed below.

Many are shared through existing means such as NHS Health Scotland http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/goodpracticeinaction , early years Best Practice website http://www.ngflscotland.com/earlyyears/index.asp , Learning Teaching Scotland http://www.ltscotland.com/index.asp , Childcare Partnership website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ed/eec/00015135/page281701866.aspx Sure Start mapping exercise http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/msss.pdf

Are there other ways these could be effectively shared?

We welcome views on how best to share the good practice in integrated service provision more widely and effectively with all service providers and users.

ANNEX 4: EXISTING EARLY YEARS POLICIES

1 . Sure Start Scotland was introduced in 1999 to target support at families with very young children (0-3 years), particularly the most vulnerable and deprived. 61 million has so far been distributed to all local authorities to work in partnership with health services, voluntary organisations and parents to identify local need and deliver services to meet that need. A diverse range of provision is provided through Sure Start Scotland funding including centre-based support, outreach services, nursery and day care services, as well as various forms of support to parents. This is a key programme that seeks to develop strategies to support vulnerable families, to prevent them falling into crisis. It focuses on trying to deliver integrated services to meet the range of needs of families and their children, and builds on existing provision. Under the Scottish Budget for 2003-2006, funding will rise by 31 million by 2005-06, meaning a total of 50 million will be available that year.

2. The Childcare Strategy for Scotland aims to ensure good quality, affordable childcare for all 0-14 year olds by raising quality standards, supporting parents' purchasing power, expanding childcare places and improving information. The strategy has been implemented since 1998. Childcare is universal, but must also meet the needs of disadvantaged families. From 2002 16.75 million per year has been distributed to local authorities for project support, partnership and information services to support the aims of the strategy, and under the Scottish Budget for 2003-2006, this will rise to 40.65m by 2005-06. Local authorities, in conjunction with Childcare Partnerships, are responsible for identifying local childcare needs and facilitating the development of services to meet these.

3. Social Justice funding for Employment and Childcare totalling 20m will be available in 2004-05 and 2005-06 to help support parents in disadvantaged areas or groups into employment and/or training. This approach will be piloted initially in a large urban area and a predominantly rural area.

4. Pre-school education - the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, which came into force in April 2002, placed a new duty on authorities to secure a quality part-time pre-school place for every three and four year old whose parents want one. Pre-school provision resources of 137 million for 2002-2003 has been transferred to local authorities through their grant-aided expenditure.

5. The Health Improvement Fund (HIF) was established in 2000 with the aim of not just treating ill health, but also preventing it and supporting healthier lifestyles, life choices and life circumstances. The HIF has invested an average of 26 million in the first four years (2000/01 - 2003/04) with the bulk of the funds being channelled through NHS boards for them to work in consultation with local partners. The priorities of the fund reflect a big emphasis on child health, which lays the foundation for health in later years. Health Improvement Fund initiatives include breakfast clubs, free fruit and salad bars in nurseries and schools, initiatives to promote breastfeeding and to improve oral and dental health amongst infants and toddlers.

6. The National Health Demonstration Project, Starting Well, was set up in 2001 to test out innovative ways of improving child health and identify lessons for Scotland. The aim is to demonstrate that child health can be improved by a programme of activities that combines intensive home-based support (provided by health visitors/lay health support workers to all families with new babies in the target areas) and access to enhanced community-based resources for parents and children. 3 million is being provided over 3 years and the project is co-ordinated by Glasgow Healthy City Partnership. Work is undertaken in south and east Glasgow (Greater Easterhouse & Gorbals; Govanhill and North Toryglen). Starting Well is being independently evaluated by Glasgow University.

ANNEX 5: PROPOSED COMMON SET OF OUTCOMES

To improve children's health

• Increase the proportion of women breastfeeding ¹¹
• Reduce the proportion of women smoking during pregnancy ¹¹
• Reduce the percentage of low birth-weight babies ¹¹
• Reduce dental decay among 5 year olds [increase number of 5 year olds free of dental caries] ¹²
• Improve children's diet ¹³
• Reduce infant mortality rate ¹⁴

To improve children's social and emotional development

• Increase the proportion of children aged 5 years old with normal levels of personal, social and emotional development for their age ¹⁵
• Increase numbers of children reaching the recommended levels of physical activity ¹³
• Reduce referrals to the children's hearings system ¹⁶

To improve children's ability to learn

• Increase the educational attainment of all children by increasing the proportion of pupils in P3 achieving or exceeding Level A in reading, writing and mathematics. ¹⁷
• Increase the educational attainment of the lowest attaining 20% of the school population by reducing the proportion of pupils not attaining Level C by the end of P7. ¹⁷

To strengthen families and communities

• Improve parenting skills, including those of fathers, through increasing the number of parents accessing support and learning opportunities, including parenting skills ¹⁸
• Reduce the level of child injuries, including fatalities ¹⁹
• Reduce rates of post-natal depression, self-harm and suicide in new mothers through increased early intervention ²⁰

To reduce barriers to employment - especially for lone parents, since work is the best route out of poverty

• Reduce the number of children living in workless households ²¹
• Increase access to, affordability and availability of suitable childcare provision, particularly for disadvantaged groups including lone and student parents, rural families, families affected by substance misuse and families in poverty. ²²

ANNEX 6: Consultation questions

Please feel free to use additional sheets of paper to record your views. Alternatively, you may contact Iain McIver (see contact details at the bottom of Annex 6) to ask for a copy of the paper to be sent to you electronically.

1. Are the proposed outcomes the right ones to let us measure if we are successfully meeting the needs of children in the early years? Are there any that you think should be added in and if so, are they capable of measurement? Will the proposed outcomes allow us to measure if agencies are successfully targeting the needs of more vulnerable and deprived children and families? Is there the right mix between "hard" quantifiable indicators and "softer" qualitative data?

2. What changes might be needed to planning mechanisms to ensure that the range of early years interests reflected in this strategy are involved fully in service planning? What would this mean for the role of childcare partnerships? Would early years planning fora provide a way forward?

3. What more might the Executive do to improve coherence between funding streams?

4. What barriers are there to developing and delivering integrated early years services in your area? What changes and actions would remove these barriers and improve service delivery? How far would the proposals in this draft strategy help?

5. Are the proposals on monitoring and evaluation sufficient to ensure we are making progress against the set of outcomes? What might agencies need to help them adequately monitor their performance?

6. How can existing good practice and research relating to integrated service provision in the early years be better shared and disseminated to and between all service providers and agencies? It would be helpful if you could give any examples of service provision that, in your view, particularly demonstrates good practice.

Please direct all initial enquiries and submit your response by no later than 13 June 2003 to:
Iain McIver
Children and Young People's Group
Scottish Executive
Area 2-B
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Tel: 0131 244 0606
E-mail: iain.mciver@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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